Payroll Management: A Crucial Aspect of Any Company

Fundamentals of Financial Accounting, Business Presentations, Payroll Compliances, Strategic Compensation, Human Resources Management in Canada, Contemporary Organizational Behaviour, Management Accounting for Human Resources, Pensions and Benefits, Payroll Systems and Fundamentals of Project Management: These are all of the courses covered in Centennial College’s Payroll Management program. The courses are a clear example of how this two-semester program makes students job-ready. Let’s take a closer look at other beneficial aspects of this Graduate Certificate offering.

“This is a two-semester program and it is 50 per cent courses supplied by the Canadian Payroll Association but taught here at the Progress Campus,” say Professor Dryden, who teaches in the program. “And 50 per cent courses developed by Centennial College. One of the key advantage of this program is that the graduate will have exposure not only to the technical aspect of the processes of payroll but they will also have a broad understanding of the management processes around payroll, compensation and be able to step confidently into an orientation with other professions that work with payroll, such as accounting.” That means students, upon graduation, can enter positions such as payroll clerks/ officers, payroll and benefits clerks/ administrators/ payroll accountants, human resource and payroll generalists, general accounting coordinator, and small business bookkeepers/accountants.

In addition to the benefits described by professor Dryden, this Payroll Management program uses teaching tools like: case studies, simulations and project-based learning, with a focus on developing project management, teamwork, report writing and presentation skills. Therefore, payroll system training is taught using an SAP application. It also stresses emerging trends and issues in payroll management, such as the use of promising technologies and changing legislative requirements.

Students completing this program will be eligible to receive the Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) from the Canadian Payroll Association (CPA) subject to their joining the CPA and complying with its professional requirements. Registration in this will incur costs in addition to tuition.

To gain entry into Payroll Management, students must present an official transcript that demonstrates proof of successful completion of a post-secondary advanced diploma or degree program. In addition, they may be required to participate in an interview process, during which a transcript and resume review may be required. English proficiency will also be considered. Please note that if students are able to present a combination of partial post secondary education and relevant work experience, they may be considered. That is open to all disciplines. Lastly, students who wish to enroll in the following Canadian Payroll Association CPM level payroll courses, Introduction to Payroll Management (formerly Payroll Management Processes) and Applied Payroll Management (formerly Payroll Management Practices), “must meet a payroll experience prerequisite to register”. To satisfy this prerequisite, the student must have: “at least two years of experience being responsible for an organization’s payroll function, which includes being accountable to management for the accuracy of employees’ pay and all government statutory remittances, or equivalent experience, obtained in the past five years.”